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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24505975">explorers for a lifetime</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanao/pseuds/kanao'>kanao</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Oaths &amp; Vows, up movie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:29:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,088</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24505975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanao/pseuds/kanao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>was there anything iwaizumi hajime's hero couldn't do? in hajime's eyes, he was perfect. but heroes change over time, and iwaizumi hajime's true hero was closer than he ever knew.</p>
<p>while reading, i recommend listening to: truce by twenty one pilots</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>explorers for a lifetime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>- this is my first iwaoi au so i will only accept love save the hate for the next one<br/>- i really think up is the superior disney movie so! why not let iwaizumi and oikawa kiss kiss fall in love with that context &lt; 3<br/>- enjoy the hurt</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>2006 — 10 years old.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>little iwaizumi runs ahead, his goggles intact and his eyes sparkling with delight. his blue balloon is held tightly in the grip of his hand, as the movie he witnessed of his greatest hero replays in his head. was there anything his hero couldn’t do? probably not. in iwaizumi’s eyes, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>as little iwaizumi climbs onto the cut tree bark, he proclaims with all his strength, “adventure is —“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“— out there!” from a distance, he hears somebody else finish the sentence for him. he looks around him, frowning. who dare complete the quote that resonated in his heart, to the point that he believed only he was allowed to say it? his eyes scan around his radar, and they stop at the dilapidated home in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>it’s dark and gloomy, but the voice from inside somehow makes it seem… alive. little iwaizumi makes his way slowly to the voice with his hat bopping with every small footstep he took. the voice that was seemingly speaking to itself. directions, actions, noises — the voice did them all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>little iwaizumi squeezes himself through the broken door into the foyer, as his ears follow the direction of the voice. he sees the back of a boy, around the same age as him, invested in the steering of his own wheel as he rocks his body left and right, with the sounds of helicopter engines making the scene all more alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>little iwaizumi looks around the boy. thrown away bottles, scraps, papers — yup, it was undeniably a mess in there. but his eyes chance upon the familiar face of his hero on one of the walls. he gapes. he is about to lay an adoring finger on it, when somebody suddenly grips onto his hand, earning a yelp from little iwaizumi. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“what do you think you are doing?!” the young boy asks him accusingly, and little iwaizumi fumbles onto the floor, afraid. the other boy takes a few seconds to scan little iwaizumi’s features, and he nods slowly. “are you an explorer too?” the boy smiles at little iwaizumi, and all the latter could do was sit there in fear, not being able to find the words to string together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“well, i’m assuming you are. welcome to the club, then!” the boy clips a small bottle cap labeled ‘grape soda’ and pins it onto little iwaizumi’s shirt. “you and me, we’re a team now. my name is oikawa,” the boy extends his hand. little iwaizumi smiles and takes it, murmuring out a small, “iwaizumi” in response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“come on, let me show you around here!” little oikawa grabs little iwaizumi’s hand in his and interlocks their fingers. little iwaizumi feels his heartbeat beat a little faster then it usually does, and red begins to tint his cheeks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>probably just the adrenaline rush, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>⌤</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>that night, little iwaizumi reads his adventure book (for probably the thirty fourth time now) under his blanket, illuminated by a flashlight. he hears a soft knock on his window, and he pulls down his blanket, surprised to see little oikawa right outside his window, waving furiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“hey, best friend!” little oikawa chirps softly as little iwaizumi opens the window for him. little oikawa pulls the covers down over the both of them as little iwaizumi closes the window behind him and makes his way back to the bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“i am about to let you see something i have never shown to another human being. ever. in my life. you’ll have to swear on your life you won’t tell anybody about it!” little iwaizumi nods his head frantically, but little oikawa will not be easily unnerved. “cross your heart!” little iwaizumi does as he is told, earning a small smile from the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>little oikawa unveils a scrapbook and holds it proudly. “this is my adventure book!” little iwaizumi gapes in awe, as little oikawa puts it down. he opens it and reveals paradise falls, the place in south america little iwaizumi had always dreamt of going all his life. a small house scribbled in different coloured crayons is pasted on the top of the falls, and little oikawa points to it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“one day, i’m going to go here. say, do you want to bring me there?” little oikawa smiles his toothy grin, and little iwaizumi thinks for a second, before nodding slowly, “sure.” little oikawa eyes sparkle with delight as he lunges on top of little iwaizumi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“you’re the bestest friend ever, iwa-chan!” little oikawa hugs little iwaizumi tightly and the latter can’t help but smile brightly. for once, somebody felt as if they mattered in iwaizumi’s life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>little oikawa pulls away and tucks the book in his arm, wiggling his way out of their little tent. “well, i’ll get going now, see you soon, best friend!” little iwaizumi waves, smiling — earning the same gesture back from his newfound best friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>as little oikawa climbs out of the window, he punches a proud fist into the air, “when i say 'adventure is', you say…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“… out there!’ little iwaizumi copies the gesture and the pair laugh heartily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>⌤</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>2026 — 30 years old.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>oikawa and iwaizumi smile as they look at their new home in front of them. sure, it was dusty and run down — not much light to it. but their smiles illuminate in the darkness of it all. all because it was the house where they had first met — the place that they vowed to be explorers together for a lifetime.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>oikawa and iwaizumi are newly-weds. and they are ready for the adventure that life was going to take them to, together. still in their wedding suits, they begin to work their way into revamping the house, just like how they had it all planned out, since the day they vowed to be best friends for life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>and now, they were married. vowed to be partners in exploration, for a lifetime.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>as they put the final touches onto their mailbox, with both their painted handprints imprinted side by side onto their mailbox. they look at their picture of reference, and they both smile proudly. “we did it, iwa-chan,” oikawa says as he looks into the eyes of his husband, closing the gap between them to seal their promise with a kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>and from that day on, oikawa and iwaizumi did everything they had planned on doing together. they went on picnics, cloud-gazed, stargazed, went to the zoo, went to nature reserve, worked together, volunteered together — god, the list was absolutely endless. but they never once got bored of each other. they were the only absolute people in each others’ lives that they ever needed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>they were doing it together, and that’s all that mattered to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>iwaizumi wakes up one day in the morning and realises the familiar warmth of oikawa’s body isn’t felt next to him. grunting, iwaizumi makes his way down the stairs and sees oikawa busy painting a mural on their wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>iwaizumi wraps his arms around oikawa’s waist from the back and tenderly presses his head against his back. “what’s this, baby?” iwaizumi asks, and oikawa chuckles. “our future home on paradise falls, just like how we dreamt of when we were kids.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>oikawa turns around and cups iwaizumi’s face in his hands. “you got paint in my face now!” iwaizumi sulks, a pout hanging from his lips. oikawa giggles, kissing the expression from iwaizumi’s mouth. iwaizumi smiles into the kiss, and so does oikawa.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“i know i don’t say this much to you, but iwa-chan,” oikawa whispers gently onto their now slightly parted lips, “i am so grateful that i’m adventuring life with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>⌤</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>2066 — 60 years old.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“good morning, sunshine,” oikawa says, and iwaizumi feels like he would never get tired of hearing the voice tingle in his ears. god, how oikawa managed to make his heart race all this while, since they were 10, and now they were in their golden years. together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>as iwaizumi makes his way down the stairs as oikawa makes breakfast, he chances upon a picture of oikawa as a little kid. the way he was still smiling the same toothy grin iwaizumi remembers, the way his little goggles were balanced perfectly on his nose bridge. iwaizumi smiles at the boy he fell in love with, and he kisses the picture briefly. he looks up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>the mural on the wall. he suddenly thinks of the conversation they had when they were 10. “one day, i’m going to go here. say, do you want to bring me there?” little oikawa smiles his toothy grin, and little iwaizumi thinks for a second, before nodding slowly, “sure.” it was the only promise iwaizumi hasn’t fulfilled of oikawa’s, and it was his greatest wish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>a pang of guilt hits iwaizumi, and his face falls. he wouldn’t let the greatest desire of his only love go unfulfilled. he moves towards the computer and begins searching. trips to south america. he books the tickets and prints them out. he looks at the pair of tickets proudly in his hands, slipping it into their usual picnic basket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“baby,” iwaizumi says and oikawa looks up from his cooking. “do you want to go on a picnic today?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>⌤</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>they go up on their usual top of the hill where they watched the skies together, both during day and night. iwaizumi is the first to reach the top of the hill, as his fingers hold onto the tickets excitedly. he looks down and sees oikawa making his way rather slowly this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>he falters, and falls. iwaizumi’s smile drops. “i’m alright, iwa-chan,” oikawa huffs and tries to get up, but fails. he falls again. iwaizumi runs over to him, holding the now weaker boy tightly in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“tooru, you’re not alright,” iwaizumi gently lifts oikawa’s chin to look at him, only to be met with tears streaming down the latter’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“iwa-chan,” oikawa winces in the pain that he kept all to himself, “i’m sorry.” it was all he could say. and as the two tickets that were about to form their whole world lay lifelessly in the picnic basket, iwaizumi feels his shatters. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>⌤</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>oikawa lies on the bed, as his fingers flip through all the pictures he and iwaizumi had shared together. a tender smile appears on his face as the tears begin to well up in his eyes. he hears the door click, and he sees iwaizumi slowly make his way towards the bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“i wanted to give you something,” oikawa says, the tears unable to be held anymore. iwaizumi sits down next to oikawa, who places his hand over the latter’s. oikawa slowly closes the adventure book and pushes it towards iwaizumi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“live our adventure, baby,” oikawa nods, and iwaizumi’s face crumbles. he uses his free hand to fish out the two tickets from his pocket, placing it on top of their adventure book. oikawa sees it, and as the tears fall from his eyes, he places a soft, delicate hand on iwaizumi’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“you’ve always fulfilled every single promise of mine, i just need you to do one last one for me, iwa-chan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“promise me you’ll still go. for us,” oikawa looks at iwaizumi with equally watery eyes. he crosses his heart, and oikawa crosses his. “when i say ‘adventure is’, you say…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>iwaizumi chokes on a sob, “out there.” he inches forward and rests his head on oikawa’s chest, and oikawa’s fingers instinctively make their way through iwaizumi’s soft hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“i can hear your heart beating, tooru,” iwaizumi says, smiling at the slow rhythm that was thumping against his year. oikawa nods and takes in a short intake of breath, before croaking out — “because it is only beating for you, iwaizumi hajime. now and forever.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>at that, iwaizumi snuggles closer to oikawa’s warm embrace, the sound of oikawa’s heart that was slowly beating, tints of peace and rest underlying it. “thank you for being my partner in this adventure, iwa-chan.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>the familiar thump of the heart that had only beat for love gradually comes to a slow stop, and iwaizumi grips onto oikawa’s shirt, sobbing softly into his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>if there is one thing iwaizumi realised over his lifetime, it’s that the people closest to you are shaped to be your personal heroes. iwaizumi’s personal hero wasn’t even an ever present force in his life. his hero was closer than he ever knew. in iwaizumi’s eyes, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>i promise i’ll fulfill your dream for you, explorer. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“and thank you for being mine, oikawa tooru.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sorry this is kinda short i hope i will be able to write better in the future! i am @bokauka on twt :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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